Smashing down table tennis with Trevor Hirth

Paralympian Trevor Hirth is ready to put his new style of table tennis to the test at the French Para Open on 5-8 May.

The six-time Australian Champion is one of eight athletes set to travel to Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France which will mark his first international competition in 2022. 

It’s been a good lead into the tournament for Hirth, who has been training at Paralympics Australia base “The Hangar” in Melbourne as well as playing in tournaments at a state and national level.

“The training for the last few months has been really good,” Hirth said. “Being able to have a little warm-up in the TTA Tour - Melbourne and then at the Victorian Open was a good opportunity to get some match play in.

“I’m pretty optimistic. I feel my preparations have been good. It’s like Tokyo 2020 was reaching my dream and then now it feels like the pressure is off.

“It will be good to see some good friends and good rivals. There could be some players I’ve played against before so I’m looking forward to giving it my best shot.”

Hirth, who is a Class 6 athlete, will be in an event with some of the biggest Para table tennis stars including Tokyo 2020 medallists Peter Rosenmeier and Rungroj Thainiyom as well as six-time Paralympian Alvaro Valera. 

While Hirth says he’d love to win matches and take home a medal, having the chance to implement his new style of play will be his major focus heading into the tournament.

“Sometimes the result won't be good, I can win or lose but the number one goal is to implement the new fresh way I’ve been training,” said Hirth, who started working on it after Tokyo 2020. 

Hirth's passion and knowledge for table tennis run deep. After all, he has been involved in the game for over 25 years but his desire to encourage more people to play table tennis, especially in the Pacific region, is most admirable. 

It all started back in 2016 when he was invited as an Australian representative to the first-ever Oceania Development Camp and his passion has only grown from there.

He recently spent two weeks in Fiji with the Smash Down Barriers program to help with the film production of Bounce It Back, a film that will showcase table tennis across Oceania to increase physical activity and promote social inclusion amongst school students.

“The work we did was amazing. It’s something I’m proud of because my heart is in the region and growing it because it needs it. Not just from a para perspective but as a whole,” Hirth said.

“I think this work we are doing to roll out these videos to schools in the Pacific is going to have a big impact in a couple of years' time.”

Being able to make a difference in people’s lives has been a driving force behind Hirth’s continued efforts in the region. Reflecting on the first Smash Down Barriers Training Camp, the two-time Oceania Champion, recalled seeing people with an impairment who weren’t given a chance. 

“It’s frowned upon, people with a disability wouldn’t go outside but to see the changes, them getting out of the house or going to another country for the first time, and now if you look at them, they’re leaders in their communities,” Hirth said. “They’re teaching table tennis and life skills. 

“It’s pretty special when you can feel it and you can see the impact it has and it’s all from table tennis.”